1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to operating of loading equipment and more particularly to generating an indication of an object within an operating ambit of heavy loading equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
A common concern when operating heavy loading equipment is the risk of collision with other equipment working in close proximity to the loading equipment. Heavy loading equipment such as mining shovels and other mining or loading equipment may execute frequent and swift swinging actions resulting in danger for other equipment operating within a swing radius of the loading equipment. Electric Mining shovels in particular suffer from limited visibility and the counterweight of most large shovels will generally align with cabs of bulldozers and graders, which commonly operate in close proximity to the shovel.
Cameras have been provided on shovels to alleviate the limited vision of the operator. However visibility may be compromised in poor weather conditions or extremely dusty conditions. Additionally, operating a mining shovel requires a high level of concentration, which makes it difficult for the operator to monitor images displayed in the operating cabin of the shovel to determine risk of collision. A further challenge exists due to the geometry of the shovel which makes it difficult to judge whether the swing path of the shovel is clear of obstructions, since the swing axis of the shovel is in most cases not at the centre of the body.
There remains a need for improved collision avoidance methods and apparatus for loading equipment and particularly for loading equipment that in which a working implement is swung through an arc during operations. Examples of such equipment may include but are not limited to electric mining shovels, mining blasthole drills, hydraulic shovels, rope shovels, cranes, draglines, and bucket wheel excavators.